Chasing the Dragon
by korraborra
Summary: Becky Lynch is tired. Tired of being betrayed and backstabbed by friends, tired of losing, and tired of being overlooked by fellow competitors. She aims to get back on track. AJ Styles is in dire need of an ally as he ascends to the top of the main event scene without Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. He sees Becky, and knows that she's what he needs. Fantasy booking. Please review!


Chasing the Dragon  
Introduction

July 19th, 2016 was the day that everything changed inside the world of the World Wrestling Entertainment business; a once harmonious roster that appeared both Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live was now split between the two shows in order to "shake things up." And certainly it was working.

Over on Tuesday Night Smackdown, the Women's Division was a little light, however a fan favorite kept the crowd happy, a fiery redhead by the name of Becky Lynch. A self-proclaimed 'Irish Lasskicker,' she was one of the Four Horsewomen of NXT and debuted on Raw just one year ago. She had all the tools in her arsenal to be a success story: She was beautiful, she could talk, she told a story in the ring, and had the wrestling talent to boot. Not only could she out-duplex Brock Lesnar - in ferocity, power, and variety - she had a fondness for 'dis-arming' her opponents; Becky Lynch was a Submission Specialist and gave everyone a run for their money. Also on her side was the crowd that chanted her name night in and night out; all she had to do was be herself, and the crowd ate it up.

But something was missing from this story; she should have taken the championship by now or at the very least had a friend by her side… Becky had neither. Somehow, even with her fighting spirit and genuine friendship, nobody wanted her around and she always came up short in her championship matches. She'd be within fingertips of the gold, and then Charlotte submitted and pinned her. She'd help her friends, but one after one, they all turned their backs on her. First Paige, then Charlotte, and most recently Natalya. That was a ten year friendship that she just flushed down the drain, and for what? Relevancy? It was one thing after another, and that wasn't factoring in her newfound losing streak…

Becky Lynch: Helpless. Alone. Betrayed. And at a standstill. She knew she was great and believed it, but did everyone else?

Over in the men's main event scene, a man by the name of AJ Styles was in dire need of an ally. His two brothers from Japan, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, had been drafted to Raw while he remained on Smackdown Live all alone, and there was no way to communicate with them on a regular basis due to the insanity of their schedules. Sure, he followed his arch nemesis, John Cena, to the blue brand (he had an act for saying his favorite thing to do was #BeatUpJohnCena) but he was without his insurance policy. He needed to have somebody by his side in case of emergency, and in all honestly, he didn't care if it were a man or a woman' he just needed someone, and fast.

AJ started to watch every match that he was not involved in on Smackdown, searching for someone to call friend. There was a lot of talent that he could scout… does he approach the likes of American Alpha since they were some of the best in the business? They were slated to become tag team champions again once the new championships came to be. Or did he dare ask the Viper, Randy Orton? He and Cena certainly had their feuds back in the day and nobody knew the Face better than he; no reason why the rivalry couldn't reignite.

He tuned into one of the women's matches on July 26, and he knew right then and there that he had found the perfect ally. It was Becky Lynch versus Natalya, and as he watched, his eyes were glued on the Lasskicker. He was all the way backstage, and he could feel that burning passion and energy radiating from the screen, and right then and there he was entranced; it felt like Bex was out there trying to prove herself worthy to all who were watching her. She snaked her arms around Nattie and executed a Pumphandle Suplex. Another time she tossed the blond-haired Neidhart over her hand in a "Bexploder" Suplex…from the top rope. Not to mention all those calf-kicks that she so expertly hit her opponent with. All these powerhouse moves in her arsenal, and the Phenomenal One could feel it in his soul, causing his eyes to twitch closed and his body to flinch as if he were being attacked. Becky sent Nattie into the corner, slapped the ring with her bare hands and shouted "fiyah!" in that cute Irish accent as she shot toward Nattie to snatch up her arm. Her signature submission "Dis-Arm-Her" was about to locked in as the redhead nearly ripped off Nattie's arm with every pull. AJ's heart was quickening with every second passing in the match as he found himself leaning forward in anticipation.

"Come on, tap…" he muttered as Becky was about to climb over the arm. To no avail; Nattie broke free. Minutes passed as the blond haired mistress eventually distracted the referee by taking a chair out and went to use it - the ref snatched it form her and carefully put it down out of the ring. Mattie took the opportunity to, while his back was turned, thump Bex in the eye, slam her down by her hair, and apply the Sharpshooter. As much as she tried to pull her way to the freedom that the ropes could give her, Nattie wasn't letting go, so right in the middle of the ring, she was forced to tap out to the dismay of the crowd. Yet another loss to add to the streak.

"So much talent… so wasted," AJ murmured to himself as the TV rolled on to the next segment.

Becky headed backstage with her head held low. She was just so tired… tired of losing, tired of backstabbers, tired of being taken advantage of, and tired of being made a fool. She had to think of new game plan to make sure this doesn't keep happening. Bruises covered her body, her lipstick smeared over the corners of her lips to give her a "Joker"-esque smile, and her weakened legs caused her to limp. She groaned with every step as she focused her energy on getting out of her ring gear into casual clothing, and getting back to her hotel room for the night. Sleep was calling her name.

"Becky?" His voice filled the empty hallway that only the two of them occupied, catching her off guard as her breath hitched in her throat. She turned around quickly, her eyes ablaze and full of shock as she kept her guard up. "Didn't mean to scare you!" He smiled at her, exposing his teeth and putting his hands up in defense. "I just wanted to let you know that you did beautifully tonight."

"I lost, AJ," she snapped back, annoyed. "I tapped. Dead centre of the ring."

"I know, I know. But you still wrestled your heart out there, and you did great. The crowd is in love with you; hell, the WWE Universe is in love with you!"

"Thanks," she said under her breath, not really in the mood for encouragement. She turned her back so she could continue on her way out.

"Hey, Becky?" AJ said with an upward inflection, taking a step forward. "I respect you."

AJ began to get into the habit of talking to Becky after her matches in the month of August; most of the time she lost, and yet AJ was there in the Gorilla Position to tell her she stood out. He wasn't overwhelming or crowding her with all this sudden attention; he was there to give her a quick compliment before giving her space. All that mattered was positivity; she had this disappointed glimmer in her brown eyes that made him want to help her all the evermore. So while he had her attention for a quick second, he would tell her things like "That Dis-Arm-Her you did was very well executed," "I felt that Pumphandle Suplex from back here," "You're one of the strongest women I've ever seen… you nearly tore Carmella's arm out of her socket," "I couldn't do half the things you do." Becky typically just nodded at him and walked away.

One day in late August, after weeks of 'compliments,' she had to ask him why.

"Why are you being so nice to me? Is someone paying you?"

"What? No —" He seemed taken aback that she doubted his kindness. "I just think it's high time that Becky Lynch gets the praise she so well deserves. I see you as the uncrowned champion of your division, a leader for the other women of Smackdown Live."

"That's nice and all, but there isn't exactly a championship for me to go after. Who knows why they won't let me have a run with the Intercontinental Championship or the WWE World Championship…" Becky was shocked at her own lethargy, though her face remained neutral.

"Ah, that's where you're wrong… since this _is_ the New Era in the WWE, and I just so happen to be on the good sides of D-Bry and Shane McMahon, they were able to slip me some insider knowledge. The women of Smackdown are getting their very own title — and it's not the Divas title — no… it's going to be called the WWE Women's World Championship. Daniel is hoping this will help the rivalry between Raw's women and Smackdown's women… light a fire under all of you to prove that the women here don't mess around!" AJ couldn't help but start to get fired up as he delivered this message to her; all he could see was Becky holding up a championship after years of being in WWE and NXT.

Becky couldn't help but be suspicious of him; the scars of past betrayals burned her enough to cause immediate distrust. "Well, thanks for the heads up."

"There's going to be a tournament for all the women starting next week, and there will be the finals at Backlash on September 11 at the first Smackdown-exclusive pay-per-view… this could be your big break."

"I'll be sure to prepare myself for it… thanks again."

"Not a problem! Break a leg!" She turned on her feet so she could be on her way, however, he called her name again, his voice rather soft. "Becky…"

She turned on her heels to face him. "Yeah?"

"You know what I think? I see all this potential in you; you're 'straight-fire' as you like to say. I think you could go very far in this tournament and truly establish yourself as the head woman, the face of the Women's Division as you so rightfully deserve. All this time, you know I've been watching your matches backstage, and if you'd allow it, I'd like to actually accompany you to the ring to see you win this thing in person; I want a front row seat."

"Are you for real right now?" Her typically deep voice went up a few notes, really questioning the Phenomenal One.

"As real as can be, Bex! And if you'd like, you can accompany me to the ring, so you know I'm not messing around. You can come see me 'Beat Up John Cena' in person," he said with a smirk; it was his most favorite thing to do.

"And you want to do this because…?"

"I think we could be a team! The Lasskicker, Becky Lynch, and the Phenomenal AJ Styles; that's money right there. Imagine the two of us as World champs together!"

"I don't know if that's the greatest idea… everyone has a habit of turning on me. What makes you think that you're special or any different from the people I used to call my friends — you know, the people who turned their backs on me to advance their own careers?"

"I'll keep my hands to myself during your matches and mine. Promise! Besides, I don't need to knock you down to make my career better; I'm a multi-time World champion…in every promotion I've ever graced. Throwing you to the side does nothing for me." Becky remained unconvinced, her face hardening into a glare. "The reason I'm asking this of you is because I have a talent for making stars out of people. Just look at Raw's hottest tag team, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson; they stuck with me in Japan and here in WWE, and they've won championships everywhere they've gone. This past Summerslam, they ended The New Day's record-breaking reign at three-hundred and sixty-four days to become the NEW Tag Team Champions! The three of us are brothers for life, and now they're dominant champions, _leaders_ , I dare say. If I can heighten their star power… just think of what I could do for you. But only if you want me to." He held his hand out for her to shake, hopeful that she would say yes. He meant every kind word that he ever told her, and just wanted a chance to create a new version of The Club with her.

Becky stared at his hand and remained quiet. What could she say to this offer…? She was here to win championships and to be the very best, however, would allying with the Phenomenal One really be a good idea…? And the way he worded this… 'just think of what I could do for you.' Stringing that sort of sentence together typically came from a snake, someone untrustworthy, and Becky had no time for unreliability. What if this just ended up the way it always in the past?

AJ withdrew his hand after several seconds; she gave him an answer without saying it. "I'm not going to pressure you into doing this if you don't want to. Just know that the offer is on the table for you if you want to take it. It's not about to expire any time soon either." He walked away, and Becky was left alone with her thoughts.

AJ had a match that night and Becky decided to 'return the favor' in a sense and watch it. She was going to study him from backstage, every movement, every bit of offense and defense… she wasn't going to miss a damn thing in this match. He was facing the likes of John Cena in a Number One Contender's match in order to face WWE World Champion Dean Ambrose at Backlash for the title, and he wasn't going to let anyone or anything get in his way. That match, no, that title was as good as his.

They were fighting in the main event, and the bout was nearing the thirty minute mark which was impressive considering there hadn't been any interference from anyone. It was strange to not see Luke and Karl try to interfere at some point.

But AJ didn't need his 'insurance policy' after all; he had a strategy to execute. He worked on John's legs through out the match; kick after kick to the thighs, multiple calf-crushers on one leg… He jumped on the knees from the top rope and curled Cena's legs in a half-crab, applying pressure on the Leader of the Cenation's back. If for some reason he tapped, his job would be done but that wasn't the point; weakening him was the goal. Cena wobbled as standing became a Herculean task; he attempted to put the Phenomenal One in the Attitude Adjustment but his knees buckled under the weight, causing the two men to fall. As the match neared ten o'clock, their energy levels were diminishing; exhaustion was settling in. Cena rolled back into the ring after AJ hit him with a Pelé kick. He unsteadily got back to his feet as his opponent jumped up onto the ropes and launched himself at the Face That Runs The Place, hitting the Phenomenal Forearm right in the jaw. Cena's back hit the ring and AJ wasted no time in grabbing him and finishing him off with the Styles Clash. Mr. TNA just landed a clean win over Mr. WWE.

Becky had to admit that her admirer was talented. Impressive. Hell, phenomenal. He stayed true to himself throughout the match up, and truly didn't need Luke or Karl to help him, and it took a special man to beat the Face in the middle of that ring on your own. He exuded confidence, and that caught her attention; that man earned himself a title match.

Now she had to think. Here was this talented Superstar who wanted to lend a hand to her as a sign of respect and friendship, something that was clearly lacking in her life. And when a problem arose between he and Luke and Karl, she remembered that he approached them to talk to before wanting to go their separate ways… that only lasted a week before they were back together — and AJ was beating up John Cena — but he still did that. He didn't stab his brothers in the back or attack them out of the blue. He had to be a genuine guy.

She gave herself the rest of the week to think, to weigh the pros and cons on her own time. She hated to admit it, but some of the ladies in the locker room, such as Alexa Bliss and Natalya, had a fondness for jumping her in the back and this was getting out of hand.

Tuesday night, August 23, came and Becky was ready to make a statement; Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon even allowed her to open the show. With a microphone in hand, she came out to the ring in her "100% Bad Lass" tank top and denim jeans with black boots. She paced around in a small circle, looking at her feet as she contemplated exactly what to say.

"These past few weeks haven't been exactly in my favor," she started before chuckling to herself a little. "Let's be honest, ever since I debuted, things haven't been going in my direction. Time after time, I have befriended and trusted a bunch of traitors like Natalya, Paige, and my best friend, Charlotte…" She bit her lip slightly as an image of the Nature Girl flashed in her mind; her absolute best friend in the world stabbed her in the back for some reason. "So you can imagine that I've had it up to my eyeballs with people. I've got to be honest with you all; I am tired. Tired of being betrayed, tired of coming up short, and tired of being a damn punching bag. I know who I am; I'm Becky freaking Lynch, and that's how I'm always going to be. When I came here, I had fought for everything I've ever gotten, every piece of clothing, every piece of bread, every title match. And yet there are people in the back that don't take me seriously because they got a win over me. You all want to think that low of me? Fine, be my guest, but don't go crying because you underestimated me and I disarmed you." This had been a warning to those other women in the back: Becky Lynch was not about to put up with any more crap; she was putting her foot down. "I've been too soft. Well, I've learned my lesson; it's balls to the wall, as it always should have been." The crowd seemed to be happy with what she was announcing as they were chanting her name. "Now that that's out of the way, I have to address someone who's been trying to get my attention for some time now… AJ Styles, if you would…"

She turned to face the titantron, her eyes unreadable. A moment later, his music started to play and the Phenomenal One showed his face; he couldn't help but be somewhat confused at why she was calling for him. He entered the ring and grabbed his own microphone from one of the officials at ringside.

"You rang?" he started, curious to what she had to say.

"You've been pursuing me for a while now… you saying you wanted to ally yourself with me to make a star out of me…"

"I did say that."

"What's in it for you? How does helping me help you?"

"Well, back when the brands weren't split up, I had Karl and Luke with me, watching my back as I took on the likes of John Cena and Roman Reigns. I don't need anyone watching my back for me but I'd feel better if I had a friend with me as I ascend to the top of the food chain here. I watched everybody that Smackdown had to offer but there ain't nobody here quite like you, Becky."

She let the words breathe for a moment as she slowly nodded her head. "You still want to come out to the ring with me?"

"Yes, of course."

"That's fine with me, so long as you just watch. My matches, they end with me, by me."

"I'll keep my hands to myself."

"And if you still want me to go with you to your matches, I'll do it."

"Well, you better keep your hands to yourself, Becky," he said with a wide grin; she cracked a small smile in return.

"I will." The smile faded but the seriousness remained. "Let me just make myself perfectly clear. You only get this one chance with me. I'm not dealing with any more betrayals or backstabbers; I won't take it from you, from Natalya back there, or anyone in that locker room, male or female. I'm done with those people. You make one mistake with me, and I swear whatever we have will be over and forgotten. My friendship, my rules."

AJ seemed a little taken aback at first. "You have my word, Becky Lynch; I'm not interested in sabotaging you — I'm interested in being your friend. I want to help you. That's all." He wasn't going to convince her with pretty, grandiose words; he would have to show her.

The Irish Lasskicker relaxed for the first time sine he first approached her, allowing herself to smile again. "Then I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship!" She stuck her hand out and the two of them shook on it; the alliance was started.


End file.
